Fuel economizer attachment for intake manifolds



Aug. 2l, 1962 R. ANDERSON FUEL. ECONOMIZER ATTACHMENT FOR INTAKE MANIFOLDS Filed June 18, 1958 Fl'g./

Listen Anderson INVENTOR.

United StatesiPatent O 3,050,044 FUEL ECONOMIZER ATTACHMENT FOR INTAKE MANIFOLDS Listen l. Anderson, 821 Walter SE., Albuquerque, N. Mex. Filed June 18, 1958, Ser. No. 742,765 1 Claim. (Cl. 123-25) This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in attachments for automotive vehicles, and more specifically to a fuel economizer attachment for the intake manifold of an automobile engine.

It is well known that when the air drawn into the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine contains a small quantity of moisture, a more efiicient operation of an internal combustion engine results. This is clearly evident on a rainy day. Further, heretofore there have been devised attachments which will introduce moisture into the fuel-air mixture for an internal combustion engine. While these devices had desirable advantages, there were also numerous disadvantages. One of the primary disadvantages was the necessity of a separate supply tank for the Water, which supply tank had to be constantly refilled and which required that the service station attendant be reminded to refill it. Also, there was provided no efficient means for assuring against the existence of an excessive quantity of moisture in the air.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a moisture supplying attachment for internal combustion engines, which attachment may be connected directly to the radiator of the vehicle of which the internal combustion engine is a part so that the radiator provides the moisture supply desired, the radiator being a component of a vehicle which is constantly checked by service station attendants so that the supply for the moisture injecting attachment is constantly maintained.

,Another object of this invention is to provide a fuel economizer attachment for the intake manifolds in internal combustion engines, the attachment being in the form of a moisture injection system, the moisture injection system relying upon moisture obtained from a tank, the attachment having a moisture collection door disposed intermediate its ends whereby excessive moisture is removed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fuel economizer attachment vfor intake manifolds of internal combustion engines for the purpose of supplying moisture thereto, the attachment being in the form of piping and valves which extend between a radiator and an internal combustion engine intake manifold for the purpose of obtaining moisture from the radiator and supplying it in the desired quantity to the intake manifold, there being provided suitable valve means for controlling the flow of moisture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view showing an internal combustion engine and radiator and extending between the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine and the radiator the fuel economizer attachment which Vis the subject of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along the longitudinal center line' of a valve for controlling the flow of moisture laden air from the radiator; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective View of the fuel economizer attachment.

' ICS Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will he seen that there is illustrated the fuelveconomizer attachment which is the subject of this invention, the attachment being referred to in general by the reference numeral 10. The attachment is used in conjunction with an internal combustion engine 12 having an intake manifold 14. Also associated with the internal combustion engine y12 is a radiator 16.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3 in particular, it will be seen that the attachment 10 is provided at one end thereof with a tting 18 which may be threadedly engaged in the upper part of a radiator 16. Threadedly engaged in the fitting 18 is a fitting 20 which connects to the fitting 18 a section of tubing 22. The opposite end of the section of tubing 22 is provided with a tting 24 which couples it to a valve which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 26, the valve 26 being a flow control Valve.

Connected to the opposite end of the valve 26 by means of a fitting 28 is a section of tubing 30. The tubing 30 is connected to a device for removing excessive moisture, the device being referred to in general by the reference numeral 32. The device 32 is in the form of a transparent container 34 having a top 36. The section f of tubing 30 is secured to the top 36 and extends down into the container 34 adjacent the bottom 38 thereof.

Also carried 4by the top '36 is an inverted U-shaped section of tubing which has an end extending into the container 34 but spaced a considerable distance above the bottom 38. Thus only moisture laden air is drawn into the section of tubing 40. The section of tubing 40 is connected by means of a fitting 42 through a shut-off valve 44 which has a control handle 46.

Connected to the shut-off valve 46 by means of a fitting 48 is the section of tubing 50. The section of tubing 50 is provided with a fitting 52 which is in turn connected with a fitting 54, the fitting 54 being threadedly engageable in the intake manifold 14.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 in particular, it will be seen that the control valve 26 includes an elongated valve housing 56 having a reduced bore 58 at one end thereof, and an enlarged bore 60 extending through the central portion in the opposite end thereof, the bores 58 and 60 being coaxial, and communicating with each other. The bore 58 has an enlarged internally threaded outer portion 62 in which there is threadedly engaged the fitting 24.

.The valve 26 also includes a fitting 64 which has an enlarged portion 66 and a reduced portion 68. The reduced portion 68 is externally threaded and is threadedly engaged in an enlarged internally threaded end portion 70 of the bore 60.

The portion 68 is provided with a bore 72 therethrough which opens into the enlarged portion 66 into an enlarged bore 74 for-med therein. Theopposite end of the enlarged ybore 74 opens into a still larger internally threaded bore 76 in which there is threadedly engaged the fitting 28.

Disposed within the member 56 within the bore 6.0 is a needle Valve member 78 having a conical end 80 which projects into the bore 58 so as to control the flow of moisture laden air through the control valve 26. Bearing against the needle valve member 78 and disposed within the bore 72 is a spring 82. The spring 82 has the opposite y end thereof engaged with a suitable seat assembly 84 dis posed within the bore 74. By controlling the position of the fitting 64 with respect to the the member 56, the pressure exerted on the needle valve member 78 by the spring 82 will vary and thus vary the setting of the conical portion 80 with respect to the bore S8. This, of course, will control the flow of moisture laden air through the control valve 26.

In order that moisture laden air may pass the needle valve 78, the needle valve 78 is provided with a spiral passage 84. The spiral passage S4 communicates the opposite ends of the bore 60.

In the operation of the present invention, when the internal combustion engine 12 is operating, a vacuum is produced in the intake manifold 14. This, of course, produces a vacuum in the attachment 10. Moisture laden `air is then drawn from the radiator 16 into the attachment 10. The tlow of such moisture laden air is controlled by the control valve 26, as described above, The moisture laden air then passes down into the excess moisture remover 32 and excessive moisture will drop out of the moisture laden air into the container 3S. The air is then received from' the container 38 by the section of tubing 40 and flows into the intake manifold 14. When it is not desired to utilize the device 10, the shut-off valve 44 Imay be moved to a closed position.

The present invention is an improvement on a conventional developlnent, that is the provision of moisture laden air to a fuel-air mixture of an internal combustion engine. However, there has been provided a highly desirable valve system for controlling the ow or the air and there has been provided means for assuring that excess moisture does not enter into the fuel air mixture. Further, by obtaining the moisture from the radiator, which part of a vehicle is constantly checked by service station attendants, a constant supply of moisture laden air is assured.

The `foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, `and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A fuel economizer attachment for gasoline engines `comprising a moist air supply line, a rst fitting at one end of said moist 'air supply line adapted for attachment to an engine radiator, a second fitting on the opposite end of said moist air supply line adapted for attachment to an intake manifold for delivering moist air from a radiator to a fuel air mixture of an intake manifold, a ilow control valve mounted within said moist air supply line, said control valve including a valve housing having a constant diameter longitudinal bore therein, an elongated spring urged cylindrical valve member snugly and slidably received within said bore, said housing having inlet and outlet openings, said openings being in communication with opposite ends of said bore, said valve member having a conical end portion receivable in said inlet opening comprising a closure therefor, a small restricting spiral passage formed in the outer surfaces of said valve member with the ends of said passage in communication with the opposite ends of said bore, whereby a greater pressure in said inlet opening relative to the pressure in said outlet opening will force said conical portion of said outlet away from said inlet opening allowing the moist air in said radiator to pass through said valve and into said intake manifold.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,324,284 Todd Dec. 9, 1919 1,398,095 Fokken et al. Nov. 22, 1921 1,475,920 Pohl Nov. 27, 1923 1,515,250 Gemino et al` Nov. 11, 1924 1,578,216 Stutika Mar. 23, 1926 1,622,701 Brewer Mar. 29, 1927 1,627,139 Bertschy May 3, 1927 1,654,984 Mayo Jan. 3, 1928 1,663,163 Gillespie Mar. 20, 1928 1,706,693 Kenneweg Mar. 26, 1929 1,729,398 Nelson Sept. 24, 1929 1,766,363 Smith June 24, 1930 1,783,254 Miller Dec. 2, 1930 1,852,852 Myers Apr. 5, 1932 2,041,198 McLean May 19, 1936 2,293,143 Johnston Aug. 18, 1942 2,557,459 Oros June 19, 1951 2,637,307 Cushman May 5, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 160,852 Australia Feb. 1, 1955 

